Broadstairs dispersal order extended as Margate order introduced
A dispersal order put in place to deter anti-social behaviour in a town in Kent has been extended, while police have been granted similar powers in a neighbouring area.An order issued in Broadstairs started at 16:30 BST on Friday and was due to finish at 16:30 on Saturday, but will remain in place until Sunday afternoon.A separate 48-hour order has been introduced in Margate amid ongoing concerns relating to issues caused by a small minority of young people in some public areas, police said.The dispersal orders, which grant officers additional powers to instruct people to leave specific areas, cover the town centres, as well as the seafronts and surrounding streets.
While in place, officers also have additional powers to stop and search individuals without reasonable grounds.Anyone dispersed from the area during this period risks being arrested, should they return.Police said issues in the towns included under-age street drinking, fighting and reports of aggressive behaviour towards staff at shops.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Margate Dreamland drum and bass event halted over 'heat'
A music event at Dreamland in Margate has been stopped early with organisers saying "it was just too hot".Kent Police said it was "aware of a medical incident" at the drum and bass event at Dreamland Amusement event was being promoted on X on Saturday morning, but at about 18:30 BST organisers said: "Sorry guys, it was just too hot today, so we had to close early. Get home safely."In June 2024, 17-year-old Emily Stokes died after taking MDMA at a drum and bass event in the park. In a statement on Saturday evening, Kent Police said: "We are aware of a medical incident at Dreamland in Margate, which was hosting an event that has now closed. "Additional patrols are in the wider area helping to ensure the safety of people leaving the venue."The drum and bass festival on Saturday was due to feature artists including Andy C, Wilkinson and K amber heat alert is in force across most of England, meaning various health services and the whole population could be affected by the heat, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE We bought land behind our homes and erected a 6ft fence to keep yobs out... but then snobby neighbours complained to the council
A green verge used as a 'dumping ground' for drugs, alcohol, condoms and knives was bought by well-meaning residents to extend their rear gardens - but now they face losing thousands after the council refused permission to fence off the land. Five homeowners in Ramsey Court, in Slough, Berkshire and five more in the adjacent road, St Michael's Court, purchased an undeveloped strip of land at the rear of their properties from Taylor Wimpey last year. The neighbours claim the developer - which built the housing estates 30 years ago - was 'never interested' in maintaining the thick shrubs, which shot up to 20ft high in places. Many also complained the shrubland, which ran behind their properties in nearby Portland Close, looked 'unkempt' and blocked out sunlight into their homes, while becoming a magnet for antisocial behaviour. When they were offered the opportunity to purchase the land, the residents jointly agreed they would benefit from taking away the nuisance verge, while extending their rear gardens by two or more metres. A letter seen by MailOnline, which was sent by Taylor Wimpey to the homeowners, stated 'the land could make a very useful addition' by providing 'the opportunity to extend the size of your garden'. It added that while there would be a 'no build' restriction, this would not prevent residents from 'erecting garden sheds and other garden buildings'. But after buying the land and erecting a new 6ft fence, residents of Portland Close complained the fence was an 'eyesore' and petitioned council officials to have it taken down. The land-buying homeowners were advised they would need to apply for retrospective planning permission from Slough Borough Council to change the verge from 'a hedged boundary in a public use to private residential use.' But one by one, Slough Borough Council has refused all 10 planning applications for the fence. In their decision, planning officials said the fence had a 'detrimental visual impact' and was 'a harmful addition to the street scene' of Portland Close. The decision has now left the residents 'in limbo', with some fearing they may have spent thousands on a plot of land they may never fully benefit from. One resident, who has lived in Ramsey Court for 22 years, told MailOnline that he agreed to purchase the land with his neighbours because he believed 'it was a good thing' for the area. He said: 'It has always been an area that was unkempt. Taylor Wimpey never cut down the bushes. Many times we had to get a tree surgeon to come out, otherwise it would look really untidy and ugly, while no-one could even walk on the pavement. 'When they offered us the opportunity to buy it, we all agreed this would be a good thing and we could extend our gardens. Mine was only extended by about two metres, so nothing really fantastic, but I was happy to buy the land and make it look decent and pleasant. 'There used to be a lot of fly tipping, people taking drugs and drinking. On one occasion, I had a criminal jump over my fence while he was being chased by the police, which broke the panels.' Another, who has lived in a three-bed property on Ramsey Court for 31 years, said her neighbours are now in a dilemma over what will happen next. 'If they have to take that fence down and bring it back to where it was, who is going to look after the land in front of it? They've bought that land now. 'I think the decision is wrong. Those people have made it better for that road. I can't see how they can say it is worse and if they take the fence away it would just go back to being a dump, quite honestly. 'I feel sad for my neighbours. These people have spent a lot of money on that fence and this situation is causing them stress. I think it's totally unacceptable.' Among them is Danielle Robson, who moved into a property in St Michael's Court three years ago and has almost doubled her rear garden following the Taylor Wimpey deal. She told MailOnline that between purchasing the land, solicitor's fees and erecting the fence, she had spent £6,000. 'Because of this decision, we're just like in limbo thinking what can we do? 'We didn't used to get any light into our front room because the shrubs were so high. 'I know it's not nice getting rid of greenery, but it was unkempt and nasty and we were only going to do nice things with the extra garden. 'I'd be happy to compromise and move the fence back and make the other side gravel or something. 'It's just all been a bit stressful to be honest and I think it looks much nicer with the fence.' Another resident of Ramsey Court told how he was forever cutting back the greenery, while his original fence became so damaged by the proliferating bindweed he was forced to replace it. 'It was also just a real dumping ground,' he explained. 'I've personally picked up hundreds of silver nitrous oxide canisters, beer cans, bottles. One Christmas morning I even reported a dumped motorbike behind there to the police. 'The residents of Portland Close will tell you that it was a public area that was looked after and it was lovely. 'But that was not our experience. It was all brambles and shrubs. You couldn't use the pavement, while anyone in wheelchairs or with prams was forced into the road. 'There was also dogs' mess out there. We would sit in the backyard in the summer and you could really smell it. That verge has been a constant issue.' Asked his thoughts on the permission being turned down, the resident said he is most concerned about how he could be impacted legally. 'My wife spoke to a solicitor. If we are asked to push back the fence, from the step of the pavement to the fence line is still my land - and if someone twists their ankle or falls over, I could be liable. So how do I protect myself? 'If I can't put a fence up, how do I protect my liabilities? That can't be right, surely.' The resident said that while it was ultimately the council's decision, his neighbours in Portland Close - where house prices average £650,000 for a four-bed detached home - had 'campaigned' against the fence. 'They've always had a problem with us,' he said of Ramsey Court, where terraced homes cost £477,000 on average. 'They have this mentality that they're a better class of person, because these were originally British Airways shared ownership houses. 'They would often complain to the council about us. They don't like us parking in the road round the back of our homes, for example - even though its a public road. 'They hated the fence from the word go. One of them called it a "monstrosity" and said we had been underhanded, but we haven't been. 'They all jumped on the bandwagon and now they have succeeded. 'I'm sure the council will in time send an order to remove the fence and return the greenery. 'They [Portland Close residents] will expect it to be Chelsea Flower Show over there - but it wont be.' For their part, several residents in Portland Close told MailOnline they had supported the petition to remove the fence, arguing their neighbours had acted 'underhand' and greenery had been taken away from their road without their consultation. In letters to Slough Borough Council, they had also argued that the 'removal of trees, plants, and hedges has disrupted the local ecosystem and driven foxes into our gardens in search of shelter.' They added: 'This is a significant concern, as these animals may carry diseases and pose a potential threat to children's safety and public health.' One said: 'I've got no problem with them putting a fence up, but we should have been informed about it. 'I can't speak for everyone, but if we had been contacted we could have come to an arrangement where some of the hedge on this side was left. 'I think part of the problem was Taylor Wimpey contacted Ramsay and St Michael's about buying the land - but they never contacted us. 'Some have also put in back gates, which I don't know why they need them going into our road. Others have not, so it's not even uniform. 'They said they wanted to take away the hedges for security reasons, but now you can see right into their back gardens. At the moment it just looks awful. 'And how is taking away the hedges going to stop the antisocial behaviour? A hedge actually hides a lot of rubbish and it's far easier for somebody to climb over a fence than straight through a big hedge.' The homeowner added that while she was sympathetic her neighbours could lose the money they have invested into buying the land, 'those are the rules'. 'If you're spending a lot of money putting fencing up, surely you should check the planning rules? 'My opinion is that it's an eyesore. One minute we had a hedge and now we don't. I have actually found that quite upsetting.' In their decision, Slough Borough Council said: 'The development, by reason of the change of use from the pre-existing hedged boundary in a public use to private residential use is detrimental to the amenities of the area and by reason of the timber close boarded fencing and concrete plinth, comprises a harmful addition to the streetscene, poor siting, height, loss of soft landscaping and loss of informal green space. 'The development has a detrimental visual impact within the area and fails to improve the character or appearance of the surroundings and street scene at Portland Close. 'If planning permission is granted for this development it would make it difficult for the LPA to resist other similar forms of harmful development, resulting in further unacceptable impacts.' The homeowners are now considering launching an appeal against the decision.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Paedophile teacher Jeremy Forrest who was jailed after running away to France with 15-year-old schoolgirl tells how he wants to be taken off sex offenders' register
Paedophile teacher Jeremy Forrest, jailed in 2013 after running away to France with a 15-year-old schoolgirl, has revealed his plans to be taken off the sex offenders' register. The former maths teacher, 42, who sparked an international manhunt in 2012 after he went on the run with a teenage pupil, was banned from teaching and placed on the sexual offenders' register for life. Jailed for five-and-a-half years for child abduction and having sex with an underage girl, following his release from prison he retrained as a baker and married for a second time. Now, the disgraced paedophile, originally from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, has shamelessly spoken of his desire to be removed from the offenders register, remarking that it has 'always been the plan' for him to be eventually taken off. Speaking of how he misses teaching in Eastbourne, East Sussex, but 'loves' his new life in Sidcup, Kent, Forrest told The Mirror: 'It's up to other people, we need to see what happens. 'The plan has always been that (to be taken off it) with my liaison officer. That's always been the plan'. After 15 years, adults on the register for life can apply to the police for a review of their case, meaning that Forrest could submit such request as soon as 2028. If such application were to be successful, it would mean that Forrest would no longer be subject to a number of notification requirements, including reporting to the police, providing information about his place of residence or travel planes, or informing the force about whether he is residing in a household with a child. Now, the disgraced paedophile, originally from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, has shamelessly spoken of his desire to be removed from the offenders register, remarking that it has 'always been the plan' for him to be eventually taken off But Forrest insists that such removal would be justified, insisting that he has 'changed my life' and is no longer representative of his 'past mistakes'. He added: 'I've not been in any other trouble. You always have to be mindful of past mistakes. That's what it was. I'm always mindful of it'. Adding that he was 'very sorry' for his previous crime, he said that he 'regrets it all'. Forrest gained notoriety in 2012 when as a 30-year-old teacher he fled the UK with the schoolgirl he is alleged to have groomed when she was just 14. After taking her virginity one week after her 15th birthday in his marital home in Ringmer, East Sussex, the pair went on to have sex in his car and in hotels. When the relationship was about to be exposed they left for France - using the names Jack Dean and Gemma Grant. At first, the girl's devastated family feared she had been kidnapped but soon after CCTV footage showed her with her arms around her teacher on board a ferry from Dover to Calais. They were on the run for eight days before being found in Bordeaux where he was arrested in front of her. The paedophile teacher first became close with the young girl during a school trip to America when she was aged 14. He was married to his first wife, Emily Lovell, at the time and told the schoolgirl that he would divorce her so they could be together Forrest was detained by undercover police after being tipped off by the landlady of a pub in the French city where he had sought work under his new identity. The paedophile teacher first became close with the young girl during a school trip to America when she was aged 14. He was married to his first wife, Emily Lovell, at the time and told the schoolgirl that he would divorce her so they could be together. The former teacher last saw the girl in June 2013 at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex, where she was forced to give evidence about their relationship. He did however reply to her on Facebook following his release, a move that risked him being recalled to prison. The message was a breach of Forrest's license as he was ordered not to have any contact with her. In an interview in 2017 the girl, then aged 19, said: 'We have only spoken once, after I messaged a Facebook account that came up as a suggested friend. 'He sounded the same and, importantly, happy. He had a new girlfriend.' HOW SEX OFFENDERS CAN GET TAKEN OFF THE REGISTER Sex offenders in the UK can apply to be removed from the Sex Offenders register after 15 years (if an adult at the time of the conviction) or eight years (if a juvenile). The application must demonstrate that the individual no longer poses a risk of sexual harm to the public. Applications to be removed must first be made to the police. If these are refused, you can then appeal to a magistrates' court. Police decisions are based upon a number of different factors that include the risk of sexual harm posed by the offender, the seriousness of the initial offence and the period of time it has been since the offender committed the offence / offences. She told how the relationship with the man she called 'Sir' began after they exchanged messages during the summer holidays and Forrest asked her if she wanted 'to go for a drive'. The girl said she did not regret the relationship but added: 'I now recognise it for what it was: A dangerous infatuation. One that cost both of us dearly.' Forrest was dumped by his first wife when he was jailed in 2013. Having been released from prison in 2015, Forrest married for a second time and went on to start a new life as a baker at Gilda Bakery near Canterbury, Kent. Living under the name Jeremy Buonocore, he also became the frontman in a rock band. A biography of Forrest on the artisan bakery's website failed to mention his teaching career or time in prison but featured a picture of him in the kitchen and read: 'He is proudly a 5th generation baker, learning everything he knows from the experienced bakers that have passed down their tried and tested methods.' Gilda Bakery terminated his employment after becoming aware of his dark past, saying it had come as a shock to their 'close-knit team'. In March, MailOnline revealed how Forrest had allegedly cheated on his second wife with a work colleague 15 years his junior who had ended up being forced out of her job as a result of their relationship. Now an accomplished senior baker, the disgraced paedophile allegedly began an affair with his 27-year-old bakery assistant who he had been working alongside for several months. Matters came to a head this week when managers at J Ayre bakery in Sidcup, Kent, held a meeting after rumours of the alleged affair began circulating among staff. The business - established in 1949 by John Frederick Ayre who was known affectionately to his customers as 'Fred the bread' - is now run by Forrest's cousins. While bosses proposed that the woman could be relocated to a different part of the bakery to help resolve the issue, the woman decided that she could n longer work there and quit her job. One friend of the bakery assistant told MailOnline: 'The management found out and have held a meeting about it this week. 'They said she could carry on in the bakehouse, move to the shop to serve customers or leave. 'The morning after the meeting she didn't show up for work so she chose the latter. For her well-being she shouldn't be forced to work with a predator but it's sad that she was the one who had to go.' The bakery confirmed to MailOnline that a meeting into the relationship between Forrest and his assistant had taken place. A spokesman for J Ayre said: 'From what I know, Jeremy did meet with the member of staff after work but that was it. They built up a friendship. 'I am not aware of anything physical between them but given nothing happened in the bakery itself it is a private matter for Jeremy and the other member of staff. 'They are both grown adults. There was a meeting held this week to find a way of them both being able to work here together. 'A number of proposals were made, including the other member of staff being moved to a different part of the bakery to Jeremy. 'The outcome of that meeting is private.' But the woman's friend insisted she had suffered as a result of the relationship saying: 'This is a clear example of grooming and predatory behaviour of a man who took advantage of a young and vulnerable woman'.
